Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created in ALIEN with ALIEN: COVENANT, the second chapter in a prequel trilogy that began with PROMETHEUS – and connects directly to Scott’s 1979 seminal work of science fiction. Bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, the crew of the colony ship Covenant discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world – whose sole inhabitant is the “synthetic” David (Michael Fassbender), survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition
So, there is some odd sound that keeps drifting over this way from down a hall that leads into the reception area. The sound very decidedly sounds like the first note of a sad trombone (in particular, one a steamer I like has used when dying in Fallout 4). It has repeated many times since I first heard it. My brain - obliging when its strange and unknowable purposes are suited - has happily filled in the rest of the notes every time.
The first time I heard the sound was when I saw this thread in this forum earlier today. I am crapping you negative.
From a quick Googling, it looks like Alan’s unsourced synopsis is actually from 20th Century Fox. In other words, a source more reliable than Ridley Scott pimping a project he was trying to get going. If I’m not mistaken, this is the first official statement about a Prometheus sequel, right? It’s also conspicuous that Michael Fassbender’s name is mentioned. You can’t just go throwing his name around without some sort of contractual relationship. Perhaps even more conspicuous is Noomi Rapace’s missing name. Wonder what’s going on there.
At any rate, color me surprised this is going forward. I’m guessing Scott cashed in some of his Martian chips, hence the timing of this official announcement.
I believe it’s the first official statement, yeah, other than Scott spinning about stuff he wants to do. The leaving out of Rapace is very telling, I think. The change in name also kind of begs the question about the rumors regarding the delay in the Neill Blomkamp potential Alien movie…
Guessing that she’s dead and dust by the time whoever is part of the Quickening expedition shows up wherever Fassbender’s character is, hence not mentioning her name. Also it’s possible there was an idea that included her at some point and she said “Never again. Fuck off” and so here we are, with a story to explain her absence. I might be projecting with her actual words and tone in that last part, mind you.
If Rapace is out, I don’t think that is her choice. Up until the Alien: Paradise Lost title reveal, Rapace said she was excited to be in a sequel to Prometheus.
Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created in ALIEN with ALIEN: COVENANT, the second chapter in a prequel trilogy that began with PROMETHEUS – and connects directly to Scott’s 1979 seminal work of science fiction. Bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, the crew of the colony ship Covenant discovers that they are in fact actors in a movie written by Jack Paglen (Transcendence) and Michael Green (Green Lantern). Can even David (Michael Fassbender), survivor of the doomed Prometheus movie, save them? No, all hope is lost in this bleak, nihilistic commentary on the horrors of bad decision making in the Hollywood studio system. Werner Herzog directs.
I admit I haven’t seen Transcendence or Green Lantern (for, y’know, obvious reasons), but I have seen Prometheus and World War Z and Star Trek: Into Darkness, so I am skeptical.
I always wondered about the politics/economy of choosing screenwriters. You’d think credits like those, especially if you don’t have many credits, would scuttle your future prospects. But I’m guessing it’s a matter of agents selling scripts to studios, who then have to use the scripts they’ve paid for instead of the scripts that are good. It seems like a script has to be really troubled for a director or studio to being in someone for rewrites. Besides, a script doesn’t have to be good to be marketable. Because ultimately, it doesn’t matter whether it’s good. It just matters if it will make money.
Which again raises the question, why would you use a script from the writers of Transcendence and Green Lantern…?
By the way, so Michael Green, the Alien: Covenant writer who did Green Lantern and that horrible found footage horror series The River? He’s co-writing the Blade Runner script with original Blade Runner writer Hampton Fancher. Do not want.
It’s not like we’ve seen the sum totality of their work. They might have great specs scripts out there, or done some great drafts on those turds that were then then rewritten by someone else or noted to death by the studio.
Or they might just have gotten the job because they’re good in meetings and loyal stenographers for the producers’ dumb ideas. Who can say?
Unless it’s Aaron Sorkin or someone, attributing credit/blame to writers is generally a pretty dicey proposition, especially for big studio movies.
Those are great points, Soren, especially about the spec scripts we’re not privvy to. Can you think of an example of a writer whose early work was trash, but we eventually found out he or she was great? John Sayles comes to mind for me. His early career was a movie about a killer alligator movie and then a movie about killer piranhas!
